Summer arrives early for Cannon dental team in Africa Published June 24, 2010 By Greg Allen 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Summer came early for two Cannon dental Airmen as they applied their skills in two African nations on the edge of the Sahara Desert in May. Capt. (Dr.) Ben Britten and Staff Sgt. Marc Bustria, members of the 27th Special Operations Aerospace Medicine Squadron, spent the month of May in the African nations of Burkina Faso and Mauritania providing dental care to citizens of these two impoverished nations. They were there in support of Operation Flintlock, a U.S. Africa Command-exercise conducted by the Special Operations Command Africa's Joint Special Operations Task Force - Trans Sahara that concluded May 23. Mauritania is bordered by the Atlantic to the west and the Western Sahara to the north. About 20 percent of its population exists on less than $1.25 a day. Burkina Faso, or Burkina, as most people call it, is a landlocked nation surrounded by six nations in West Africa. Its $1,200 per-capita income one of the world's lowest. "It was very dry. And hot, with a lot of sand," said Dr. Britten. "We were the only two Air Force dental personnel in [Mauritania]," he continued, recalling their first country. The two Airmen joined an Army and Air Force medical team of about 11 who were providing medical care to the villagers. Their main mission was to relieve pain. Villagers would line up, and the tooth extractions began. "Ninety-nine percent of what we did was take out teeth," Dr. Britten said. "They have a high sugar diet; they are very poor, and for many of them, it was probably the first time they had ever seen a dentist." "We saw between 20 and 30 patients a day, there" he said. During their stay, the two extracted 206 teeth. By way of comparison, Dr. Britten said that at Cannon he sees an average of 6-8 patients a day for various dental procedures, and except for wisdom teeth, few are for extractions. The experience for Sergeant Bustria was almost surreal. Physically being in those countries, "is totally different than watching anything about them on TV," he said. "It's a different reality that you can't describe." After two weeks in Mauritania, the two-man team moved to Burkina Faso. The experience there was very different from the one in Mauritania. The Cannon dental team linked up with a dental team from 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Airfield, Fla., and there were local dentists with whom they could interact with and discuss dental techniques. "Their overall hygiene was slightly better, so we weren't pulling quite as many teeth," said the doctor. As a dental technician Sergeant Bustria assisted Dr. Britten with patient treatment, examined any available dental record and prepared patient for treatment. He said that they worked hand in hand with the Hurlburt and the local dentists in Mauritania. The Air Force Special Operations Command teams were the first to fulfill a dental tasking from the AFSOC Surgeon General initiative. "This first-ever AFSOC healthcare engagement medical mission support to Flintlock was hugely successful," said Lt. Col. Mike Hartzell, Irregular Warfare/Healthcare Engagement Division chief. "Both dental teams provided a valuable service in the West African countries of Mauritania, Senegal and Burkina Faso and their work and contributions were recognized by all."